As we move through 2025, many of the rental laws passed in Virginia in 2024 continue to shape how landlords operate.
Whether you’re still adjusting to the changes or just getting up to speed, it’s important to understand how these updates affect your leases, tenant screening process, eviction protocols, and more.
At Comfort Property Management, we stay on top of legislative shifts so our clients can focus on growing their investments while staying legally compliant.
Let’s take a fresh look at the key legal changes from 2024 that remain important for landlords in 2025, and what may be coming next.
Laws Around Applications and Lease Agreements
Several disclosures are required around fees.
Screening fees have been a hot issue lately. In Virginia, the maximum amount that can be collected in screening fees is $50. This is not necessarily a new law, but it’s good to remember you cannot charge any more than that when you’re collecting applications and running background checks. Disclose to your applicants up front that this screening fee is non-refundable, meaning they won’t get the money back if they’re denied from renting your property.
New laws do now require rental property owners to provide applicants with a copy of their credit report within seven days of receiving it. You’re required to do this even if your applicant does not request it. Make sure your process includes sending out that credit report.
A new law, HB 967, requires residential landlords in Virginia to provide descriptions of any rent and fees to be charged on the first page of the written lease.
If you were not already doing this, you now must clearly state early in the lease document a comprehensive list of the money you’ll be collecting from tenants. This will be anything that you’re collecting in addition to the monthly rent. Maybe it’s a pet fee, a fee for utilities, or an extra charge for valet trash services. If you’re collecting an amenity fee in a multifamily building, make sure it’s stated early in the lease agreement.
Page one. This information has to be somewhere on the first page of your lease.
In addition to disclosing this fee, you need to add specific language to the lease agreement. Above the list of fees, the lease must state that no fee can be collected unless it is listed on the lease or incorporated later by a separate addendum after the execution of the rental agreement.
Based on this new law, it may be time to change your lease. If you need help incorporating this new language into your lease document, we can provide the necessary support. Get in touch with us at Comfort Property Management.
Updates to Eviction Laws
Virginia passed a handful of housing laws in 2024 that impact how you might evict a tenant and what’s required around lease terminations.
These new laws cover the following:
- Eviction Records
Virginia courts must now automatically expunge eviction records for cases that have been dismissed after 30 days. This is under HB 73, and it’s meaningful to your screening process. Since those eviction records have been ordered to be expunged, you may not find the information you once had access to when you’re searching for eviction histories. If you file for an eviction and the case is dismissed, that filing will not show up on the tenant’s record.
- Communicating an Increase in Tenant Balances
You’ll need to keep closer track of what a tenant owes you during the eviction process. That’s thanks to HB 86, which requires landlords to notify tenants when there’s an increase in money that’s requested or due during an eviction case.
- Terminating Leases for Domestic Violence and Abuse
A new law, HB 764, allows victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse to terminate a lease agreement early if they’re in danger from their abuser. They’ll need a permanent protective order and evidence that moving residences is necessary for their safety.
- Preventing Eviction
There were two bills: HB 477 and SB 50, passed in 2024 that extend Virginia’s eviction diversion pilot program for another year.
Building Codes and Habitability Laws
You likely understand that Virginia has an implied warranty of habitability when it comes to rental properties. Landlords and rental property owners are required to maintain rental units in a way that is safe and habitable.
Maximum fines have been increased when owners violate habitability standards or building codes. Specifically, HB 368 and SB 538 raise the amount you can be ordered to pay, particularly if you’re a repeat offender. Be mindful that you’re not violating any part of the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
Owners will also want to be aware of HB 368 and SB 195, which establish an advisory group to explore changes to Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code. The specific concerns of this advisory group will be around exits and stairways. The team will look at permitting the use of single-exit stairways in multi-family residential buildings that are under six stories tall.
Rent Stabilization is Always on the Table
There are no laws in place mandating rent control or putting limits on how much Virginia rental property owners can raise the rent. However, a bill to allow local cities and counties to limit rent increases was passed by the Virginia House of Delegates in February of 2024. That bill was eventually pushed to the 2025 legislative session. The bill would have:
Meta Title: Investing in Real Estate for Growth
- Allowed localities to limit rent increases by a calculated allowance
- Required landlords to give at least two months’ written notice before a rent increase
- Allowed localities to form anti-rent gouging boards
Stay tuned as the legislative session gets underway, and we’ll let you know if there’s any movement on this issue. We are watching it closely.
Count on us to stay up to date on all the new laws and potential laws coming our way in the Northern Virginia rental market. If you have any questions, please contact us at Comfort Property Management. We lease, manage, and maintain investment properties throughout Northern Virginia in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, McLean, Ashburn, Sterling, Springfield, Reston, Chantilly, Manassas, Centreville, and Herndon.
